Cartridge link guide for machine guns



A ril 21, 1970 H. MENNEKING ETAL 3,

CARTRIDGE LINK GUIDE FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed Nov. 22, 1967 April 21, 1970 H. MENNEKING ETAL 3,507,185

CARTRIDGE LINK GUIDE FUR MACHINE GUNS a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22. 1967 R 4 ,668 int. Cl. F41c 9/22, 25/00; F41tl 9/00 US. CI. 89-33 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cartridge link guide for use in machine guns and the like, which comprises a machine gun housing including a cover, and a guide plate is framed by side walls on opposite sides thereof and has an opening adapted for stripping of cartridges. Stop means for a lateral limit of the belt is arranged and eye means are adapted for hingelikegsecuring on and with, respectively, a feeder upper parton the machine gun housing. A spring-biased belt holding lever being the sole holding means for the cartridge on the guide plate is provided and the guide plate has a recess within the range of the path of the belt and receives thebelt holding lever. The latter is submerged in the recess during the advance of the belt and is erected only upon cessation of the belt advance in order to lock the cartridge belt against the retrograde movement.

The present invention relates to a cartridge link guide for use in machipe guns and the like, which comprises a guide. plate framed by a side wall on opposite sides with an opening for stripping the cartridge from the belt, an abutment for the lateral limitation of the belt and eyes for a hinge-like securing to the upper part of the feeder and a cover, jointly on-the machine gun housing.

Feeder bottom parts for machine guns in which the cartridge belt is supported and guided during the feeding in connection with the upper part of the feeder are known for some time. During the use of connected ammunition belts, care has been taken to prevent a return sliding of the belt upon opening the cover. The guide plate has a projection for this purpose, at the emergence portion of the belt.

For disintegrating belts composed of individual mem bers such belt security means are not suitable.

A further drawback of the known feeder bottom part resides in the fact, that in case of a large belt length of about 1.80 m. and a 75 raising, the total weight is shifted to the feeder levers in the upper part of the feeder, which in turn press the transportation lever to the roller bolt of the breech. As a result frictional forces are created which brake the breech during the counter-recoil, so that firing disturbances cannot be avoided.

Itis one object of the present invention to provide a feeder bottom part for use in machine guns and the like, wherein,on the one hand, a sliding out from the feeder of a disintegrating belt filled with cartridges is prevented during opening of the cover, and wherein, on the other hand, decreases the feeder lever is relieved from the oppreciable weight of a heavy belt and, thereby, contributes to the removal of the hazard of misfiring; and finally, it is also in the position to without difiiculty pull through cartridgebelts with slight dilferences in pitch.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a feeder bottompart for use in machine guns and the like, wherein the guide plate of a feeder bottom part, framed on opposite sides by side walls is equipped within it hitedi States Patent the range of the belt path with a recess for receiving a spring-biased belt holding lever which, during the belt advance, can be lowered into the recess and can be lifted again only upon cessation of the belt advance, in order to lock the cartridge belt against retrograde movement.

With this belt holding lever, a sliding out of the full cartridge belt from the feeder is prevented during opening of the cover. Furthermore, during the firing operation the cartridge is locked, so that misfiring cannot occur any longer.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a feeder bottom part for machine guns and the like, which comprises an arrangement of the belt holding lever which is designed without an axle and is yet pivotable. This arrangement is solely based on a particular design, of the recess receiving the lever. By this arrangement, a precise insertion of the belt holding lever into the recess is made possible without difiiculty.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a feeder bottom part for use in machine guns and the like, wherein the belt holding lever substantially comprises a bridge member, flush with the plate surface, and a claw pointing obliquely in an upward direction and disposed on each of the ends in the feeding direction of the belt, and at least one abutment stop for a helical spring effecting the oblique position of the claw. The belt holding lever can also be centrally split into two half members, one of which is designed relative to the other claw such, that it takes into account the different cartridge diameters. Here each lever-half suitably has its own abutment stop and its own helical spring.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in the following detailed description, the present invention, which is shown by example only, will be clearly understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective top view of a complete feeder bottom part;

FIG. 2 is a section of the feeder bottom part with an integral belt holding lever, along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section along the lines 22 of FIG. 1, similar to the showing of FIG. 2, however, indicating a two-part belt holding lever;

FIG. 4 is a section along the lines 44 of FIG. 2, at an enlarged scale, the belt holding lever being raised; and

FIG. 5 is a section, similar to that of FIG. 4, but in submerged position.

Referring now to the drawings, the feeder bottom part substantially comprises a guide plate 1 having an upper surface 1b, the guide plate 1 being formed somewhat wider at the entrance side of the cartridge belt and terminating downwardly into an arc. The guide plate 1 is formed in the rear thereof with a longitudinal opening 2 extending transversely along the entire Width of the guide plate 1 for stripping a cartridge from the belt. Furthermore, a small abutment block 3 is disposed behind the opening 2 on the remaining strip of the guide plate 1. The abutment block 3 acts as a lateral limitation and, thereby, as a guide for the empty belt. One of the two side walls 4, framing the guide plate 1 is formed with two eyes 5 which are adapted for a hinge-like securing to the upper part of the feeder and the cover, jointly on the machine gun housing. Finally, the front edges of the side walls 4 are shaped in the form of claws for the mounting of a belt box.

In the path of the belt, that is, viewed from the entrance side of the belt in the right half of the guide plate 1, an H-shaped recess 6 is formed in the guide plate between the arched entrance edge and the opening 2. The contour of the H-shaped recess substantially matches belt holding lever 7 which is pivotally disposed therein as hereinafter described. The belt holding lever 7 comprises a narrow bridge 8 flush with the surface 1b of the guide plate 1, which bridge 8 is equipped at both ends with a claw 9 pointing obliquely upwardly in the direction of advance of the belt. A somewhat shorter finger 10 is disposed opposite each of the two claws 9, which finger 10, constituting an abutment surface, is limited in the oblique upwardly projecting position of the belt holding lever 7, by a tongue portion 11 punched out and depending downwardly from the guide plate 1. Furthermore, the bridge 8 is provided on the side facing the claws 9 with a groove 12 with an abutment surface 12a corresponding to the length of the bridge 8 providing a stroke stop for the upwardly projecting position of the belt holding lever 7. A portion of the guide plate 1 formed as a stop 1a engages this groove 12 and abutment surface 12a, so that from this side a stroke stop of the upwardly projecting belt holding lever 7 is also provided restraining movement of the belt holding lever in a direction opposite the advancing direction of the belt.

Additional to both of these stops, a pivotally guiding function is performed by the tongue portion 11 relative to the lower crowned portion 8a of the bridge 8 which rolls thereon to and from the lowered position of the belt holding lever 7 (FIGS. 4 and Finally, the belt holding lever 7 is maintained in the upright locking position by means of a helical spring 15 wound about an axle 14 in a small bearing block 13, such that the center portion of the helical spring 15, which is formed into a bow, interengages a hook formation 16 on the bottom side of the bridge 8. The two stops 1a and 11 for the belt holding lever 7 as well as the guiding function provided by the tongue portion 11 and the crown 8a, in the lowered lever position in conjunction with the helical spring 15, make unnecessary a conventional pivot axle for the belt holding lever. Upon release of the spring bow, the entire lever can be removed from above, out of the recess 6.

The same mounting without requiring a pivot axle can be obtained also in case the belt holding lever is split into half members 7a and 7b, whereby both helical springs 15a and 15b must be released from book formations 16a and 16b separately coordinated to the halves 7a and 7b, if both halves are to be removed.

The provision of a belt holding lever split into two halves 7a and 7b has the advantage that independently of each other, each of the lever halves extends behind the cartridge P and can perform the locking of the entire belt. Due to the cartridge diameter variation along the claw distance, one claw 9 may achieve a somewhat different oblique position with respect to the other claw 9 in accommodation to the respective cartridge diameters.

Further, cartridge belts having slightly different belt pitches due to different origin, can nevertheless be pulled through without interfering with their function. This is first of all due to an amply suificiently dimensioned distance between the belt holding lever 7 and the opening 2.

As can be ascertained from FIG. 4, during standstill of the cartridge belt, the lock is effective by the upright claws 9, while during the belt advance the claws 9 are held down against the force of the helical spring 15 up to the surface 1b of the guide plate 1.

While we have disclosed two embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A cartridge link guide for use in machine guns and the like, comprising:

a guide plate having an upper surface adapted to receive a cartridge belt movingly thereon and framed by side walls on opposite sides thereof and having a longitudinal opening in said upper surface adapted for stripping of cartridges. means for laterally limit- 4 ing of said cartridge belt, means adapted for hingelike securing of said guide plate, a spring-biased belt holding lever, said guide plate having a recess in said upper surface within the range of the path of the belt and receiving said belt holding lever therein, and said belt holding lever being lowered into said recess during the advance of said belt and projects upwardly at least partially beyond said upper surface of said guide plate only upon cessation of the belt advance, said belt holding lever in said upwardly projected position constituting the sole holding means on said guide plate for said cartridge belt, in order to lock said cartridge belt against retrograde movement, said guide plate formed with a tongue portion beneath said recess, said belt holding lever formed with a crown portion pivotally guided on said tongue portion, spring means for biasing said belt holding lever in its upwardly projecting position, and said belt holding lever having at least one abutment surface abutting said guide plate in said upwardly projecting position to restrain operative movement of said belt holding lever in a direction opposite the advancing direction of said cartridge belt. 2. The cartridge link guide as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said belt holding lever comprises a narrow bridge member flush with the upper surface of said guide plate and a claw facing obliquely upwardly in said upwardly projecting position in the direction of ad Vance of the belt at both ends, said spring means comprising a helical spring, and said belt holding lever includes at least one hook formation for connection to said hel cal spring biasing said belt holding lever into said upwardly projecting position of said claw. 3. The cartridge link guide, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said belt holding lever is centrally split into two half members, and said two half members including claws facing obliquely upwardly in said upwardly projecting position in the direction of advance of the belt and having different oblique positions in accommodation to the shape of the cartridge belt. 4. The cartridge link guide, as set forth in claim 3, wherein:

each of said half members includes a hook formation, said spring means comprises two helical springs, and each of said two helical springs connected to each of said hook formations, respectively. 5. The cartridge link guide, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said belt holding lever being pivotally guided in said recess, without an axle, and said guide plate and recess therein being shaped to provide said pivotal guiding, mounting and a stroke limit for said belt holding lever. 6. The cartridge link guide, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said guide plate includes a first stop means disposed adjacent said recess and said tongue portion constituting a second stop means abuttingly cooperating with said abutment surfaces of said belt holding lever in said upwardly projecting position, and said first and second stop means in conjunction with said spring means permit said pivotal guiding movement, safe against tilting, of said belt holding lever, said tongue portion serving also as a guide. 7. The cartridge link guide, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said belt holding lever is spaced apart from said longiupwardly projecting position of said belt holding 1 lever.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Swebilius 8933 Bonkerneyer -i 8933 Friend et al. 8933 Colby 8933 Roy.

0 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner S. C. BENTLEY, Assistant Examiner 

